Originally released as an iPad case, Speck has brought FitFolio ($35) to the iPad mini. The case's design is very similar to that of its full-sized counterpart, although Speck did make a few changes in addition to shrinking it down. One of the most appealing aspects of this case is the wide range of looks available, including faux leather solid colors and patterned fabrics. The owl print sent to us for review is particularly cool, and feels really nice.

FitFolio combines a hard plastic shell and a lid that extends to the back of the case—this is the component that’s covered in faux leather or fabric. The shell is more substantial than many of the standalone options on the market, and thankfully more protective too. It extends all the way to the top, bottom, and right edges; about half of the left is edge is covered by the plastic. There are individual openings for the headphone port, microphone, Sleep/Wake button, iSight camera, side switch, volume buttons, and Lightning port, while the speaker grilles are exposed through 28-hole grilles. Like early cases we saw from Cygnett, FitFolio has an extra hole directly beneath the microphone, indicating it was in production before the exact specs of the iPad mini were publicly announced.

With both of the previous generation models, Speck has used a different kind of mechanism to hold the lid to the case. First it was an elastic band, and then it was a plastic clip. This time, the company merged aspects of both. An ovular plastic clasp snaps around a post on the case; it holds very tightly. Four depressions on the inside of the lid can be used for that many viewing angles. It can also be folded to form a typing stand. The one feature that’s missing is embedded magnets to automatically lock and unlock the iPad mini.

At $35, FitFolio is fairly priced. It’s functional, protective, and attractive too. Clearly some refinement needs to take place—namely getting rid of the superfluous opening on the back and adding magnets—but otherwise, it’s a very good choice for iPad mini users. We’ve found folio-style cases to be particularly well suited to the smaller tablet, and this one is no exception. With those factors in mind, FitFolio for iPad mini earns our strong general recommendation.

Editors' Note: iLounge only reviews products in "final" form, but many companies now change their offerings - sometimes several times - after our reviews have been published.
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